From PreciousWerner Ahiakwo, Port Harcourt
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The act of greed caught up with a 31-year-old woman, Oju Bob-Manuel, who got sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment by a Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after being found guilty of stealing and fraud. The convict had been forging the signature of a fellow girl whose man was showering with money and gifts while she watched from the sidelines as a go between.
By the charges brought against her in court, she withdrew over N300,000 from Princess Nume Mangibo’s (her girl friend) account with Union Bank including the stealing of $2,500. She did not only stop there, she got enchanted by the jewelry of her friend and stole same all in a bid to look flashy without working for it.
She was said to have committed the crime between August 11, 2005 and April, 2006, at Union Bank Plc Station Road, Port Harcourt and No. 66 Aba Road, in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District.
The convict, who was found guilty on four-count charge, was arraigned on November 14, 2007, on nine-count charge.
Delivering the judgment on Monday, November 26, 2012, Emmanuel Woke, a Chief Magistrate in charge of the trial proceedings, said that the convict, who was standing trial with Union Bank Plc, Station Road Branch, Port Harcourt, were found guilty on counts three, five, six and seven, which were stealing of N372,000, possession of torn Union Bank Plc withdrawal voucher No. 5016162, stealing of $2,500 and stealing of one cosmetics box valued at N372,000, respectively, all property of one Princess Nume Mangibo.
However, in counts three and five, she bagged six months imprisonment each, or a fine of N50,000 each; count six, she is jailed six months, or a fine of N10,000. While, in count seven, the court sentenced her to two years jail term, or N100,000 fine.
The prosecution did not find her guilty on counts one, two, four, eight and nine, which were conspiracy, stealing of N975,000, N750,000, Union Bank Saving withdrawal and forgery of signature and thumb-print Princess Nume Mangibo, respectively.
The bank was discharged because the prosecution could not prove his case against it. He held that the bank only paid out the said money on the grounds that the signature presented to it was same as was in its system and not as a co-conspirator with the convict.
